


nothing sweeter or more freeing

by Diary



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Bechdel Test Fail, Canon Gay Character, Canon Queer Character, Conversations, Dark Character, Disturbing Fluff, Disturbing Themes, Established Cyrus Beene/Tom Larsen, Established Relationship, Introspection, Late Night Conversations, M/M, POV Cyrus Beene, POV Male Character, POV Queer Character, Post-Season/Series 05 AU, Romance, Self-Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 20:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7004635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU look at Tom/Cyrus post-season 5. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nothing sweeter or more freeing

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Scandal.

Some people take showers after sex, but Tom is the only person Cyrus knows of who tries to take a shower before having sex.

This is one of the few concretely inexplicable things about Tom, and though he’d probably tell Cyrus why if Cyrus asked, Cyrus deliberately doesn’t ask.

Even before finding out about Tom being B6-13, Cyrus knew Tom was naturally a follower and people pleaser. He didn’t let anyone interfere with his job, but otherwise, he uncomplainingly went above his job duties to make those around him happy.

It’d be stupid to think he could-

After Michael, Cyrus refuses to let himself become attached. Tom is eventually going to go back to Rowan and possibly hurt Cyrus in the process.

Whenever Tom is in bed next to him, just before Cyrus slips fully into sleep, there’s mixture of fear and gleeful powerfulness _I’m sleeping next to an assassin_ running through him.

He wakes up in the morning and doesn’t think of it, at first, but eventually, the realisation, _I slept next to an assassin and am still alive_ always hits him.

There’s never any guilt.

After Amanda Tanner, for a time, he desperately tried to fall asleep before James. Part of him instinctively recoiled at the thought of James sleeping next to a murderer. Someone who killed a pregnant woman, who was barely more than a confused, desperate girl herself, they’d have no problem going after someone like James.

If Tom ever wants to leave- when he does end up doing so, it might hurt, but Cyrus won’t be able to stop him, and it won’t hurt as bad as James wanting to did.

Olivia- he has a good idea of what she’d say, and in ways he doesn’t want to admit, there are things she’d be right about.

As it is, Cyrus is going to let himself have this, this relationship where he’s the focus, where he doesn’t have to hide anything, where the other person’s thoughts and feelings don’t particularly matter. With both Janet and James and, even for a short time, Michael, he wanted to make them happy, to build them up, and to know all the good and bad of them.

His nature always ended up rearing its head and twisting or outright overriding these intentions.

Tom is still and quiet, but he can’t go without a task or mission for long before subtle signs of antsyness appear. He’ll watch with amusement, occasional bewilderment, and what might be fondness when Cyrus goes on rants, talks to the TV, or ends up laughing too long, hard, and loud. He rarely says anything about Ella, but even after the divorce was finalised, he occasionally slips it in he could still kill easily Michael with a faint tone of pleading in his voice.

For right now, Cyrus and Michael have agreed he’ll spend every Sunday with Ella and that Tom won’t be around when she is. On the rare times Cyrus gets more time off and wants to see her, so far, Michael has never objected, although, fairly enough, he always makes sure to establish Tom isn’t and won’t be around during these times either.

A folder is dropped onto his lap.

“Sara Vargas has a boyfriend,” Tom announces.

Cyrus looks at the photos. “Okay. Why are you telling me this, Tom?”

“Eduardo Aiza. Goes by Eddie. He’s twelve, the son of Marietta, a R.N. Father unknown. He’s a problem.”

“How could a twelve-year-old boy possibly be a problem? Wait, how old is Sara again?”

“She’s ten. She turns eleven in three months.”

Cyrus tries to remember what he was like at age ten vs age twelve. All he can really come up with is the vague thought, when Ella turns ten, he’d likely be distrustful of any preteen boy showing an interest in her. “And is that the problem?”

“No.” Tom sits down. “He’s- he’s the type Command used to keep an eye on. Likeable with sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies. Extremely smart. He doesn’t care about her. Her father ran for president. It’s no secret Vargas is going to run again during the next election. If something isn’t done, he’s going to manipulate her and cause problems with her and her family. When they’re older, he’s going to use the fact he was involved with her for his own benefit.”

“You’re sure?”

“I know the type.”

Cyrus almost comments but decides against it. “Killing is off the table. Torture and kidnapping, too. What other options do we have?”

Reaching over, Tom flips some pages back. “The best would probably be St Peter’s hospital in Austin, Texas. Marietta has family in the area, and she’s applied for a transfer several times. The problem is not enough funding to support a full staff, let alone hire extras. There are several ways to-”

“I know. I’ll make several large, anonymous donations. Just make sure, when they do start hiring, which needs to be soon, she’s one of the first.”

“She will be,” Tom promises. “They’ve wanted her for years.”

“Good. Ana and her brother?”

“The remission’s holding. Nothing new to report on him.”

Cyrus nods. “Good work, Tom. That’s all until Monday.”

Tom starts heading toward the kitchen.    

Making a decision, Cyrus speaks up, “Hey, I haven’t eaten yet. Want to go out?”

Tom looks at him with soft, almost shining eyes. “People might see."

Cyrus shrugs. “If that’s okay with you, it’s okay with me.”

…

“I was in China a few years ago, and there was a café that had food just like this,” Tom tells him.

Cyrus supposes this is a good thing. Tom seems to be enjoying the grilled fish and roasted potatoes with lemon. 

When it comes to food, he and Tom are complete opposites. Sweets, alcohol, and anything highly processed will never enter Tom’s body, and Cyrus thinks he’s seen Tom have a snack maybe once in all the years they’ve been around one another.

“What were you doing in China?”

“One of what Command called white knight assignments. Kidnapped foreign women were being trafficked for rich men who wanted wives. I broke up three rings before I was called back.”

“Impressive. What exactly did you do?”

…

After they eat, they walk around a nearby park.

“Rowan- I know he’s never going to be completely out of commission. But with him the way he is right now, Charlie might gravitate towards Olivia, especially since he’s so attached to that Lindsay Quinn girl. If he does, are you going to be able handle him?”

“I already have plans in place.” Tom hesitates. “It’s better now, but in the past, I never liked working with him.”

“Why not?”

“I’m just as good, but I’ve never shared his enthusiasm for torture. His biggest weakness is that he doesn’t fully recognise his own weaknesses. If it comes down to it, I’ll use that against him, and if he tries to use mine- I’m prepared.”

“Don’t do anything pre-emptively,” Cyrus says. “He’s been a good asset over the years. Out of curiosity, did he ever go on any white knight missions?”

“One.”

“And how much worse did he make the entire situation?”

Shaking his head, a small smile appears on Tom’s face. “It could have been worse. For him and everyone involved both. He might do okay now that Perkins is involved. That is, if she doesn’t become a problem.”

“What was your favourite white knight assignment?”

Tom’s quiet for a moment. “It’s not exactly- I told you about the baby I found on the train? After the target was eliminated, I went temporarily off-grid and found the baby a good home. I still occasionally check in. I never let anyone else know.”

Touched, Cyrus says, “Thank you for telling me.” He reaches over and links his arm through Tom’s.

Tom presses closer against him.

…

At night, Tom is warm and slightly pinkened when he slips into bed.

“You need to be- Ella’s coming over at-”

“I know.” Tom moves closer. “I’ll be gone before seven.”

“It’s not ideal, I know,” Cyrus says. “But this is what’s best for her right now.”

Making a soft noise, Tom says, “I do understand. Michael doesn’t have what I want anymore. Aside from her, it’s best to keep him happy for your other plans.”

Pulling Tom against him, Cyrus slips his hand underneath Tom’s shirt to rest his palm against the scars. They’re so pale and level, they can’t be seen with a causal glance, and underneath his fingers and hands and even mouth, they don’t feel much different from the regular skin, but Cyrus always knows he’s made contact by the way Tom’s muscles loosen and he burrows closer.  

“Ballard took James Novak, Cy. Not me. I never would have done that. Ella is always going to be safe and, if possible, happy. Soon enough, you’re going to be Vice-President, and then, maybe even higher. You’re going to completely change the world, and it’s going to be so much better for her. And I’m going to help you. Maybe someday it’ll be different, but the shadows and I are old friends. I can stay in them for as long as you need and want me to.”

Taking a breath, Cyrus wonders aloud, “How is that I never saw you clearly all those years?”

Letting out a drowsy nose, Tom rubs his nose against Cyrus’s neck. “Because I hid behind something else.”

He doesn’t expand, and deciding not to push, Cyrus turns his head, guides Tom’s, and kisses him.

When it ends, Tom presses his head back against Cyrus’s neck.

Cyrus listens to Tom’s breathing even out, feels his doing the same, and the brief thought of how he likely can’t even guess at how many ways Tom could kill him like this mixed with the relative surety he’s still going to wake up whole and unharmed in the morning lulls him fully into sleep.


End file.
